By Kim Sue-young, Michael Ha
Staff Reporters

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has selected his third son, Jong-un, as the next leader of the communist state, a report said Thursday.

But the Ministry of Unification said the government has found no facts regarding the report on Kim's successor. ``No facts are known yet,'' ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyoun told reporters.

Quoting an anonymous source in Seoul, Yonhap News reported that Jong-un, 25, who is barely known to the public will be the successor.

``It appears that the sudden appointment has also surprised senior North Korean officials,'' the source was quoted as saying. ``It seems that some of the power elite have already begun to try to gain influence with the son and this atmosphere will spread soon.''

The nomination seemingly resulted from Kim Jong-il's poor health after two alleged strokes, the report said.

If Kim Jong-un successfully takes over the leadership, North Korea will become the first country of hereditary succession throughout three generations in modern history.

The son, who is known to be Kim Jong-il's favorite, is the child of the late Ko Yong-hi, his purported third wife.

Rumors and speculation on who will lead the communist state have arisen since the ``Dear Leader'' failed to make a public appearance at a parade last September marking the 60th anniversary of the North Korean government.

The North's state media reports have said that Kim is still in control of the nation, releasing photos of him inspecting military units and factories.

Asked about the report, Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul and a leading expert on North Korean affairs, said there have been a number of false reports and speculation about who would be the next in line to succeed Kim Jong-il. He cautioned against jumping to any conclusions.

He told The Korea Times that in past reports, ``some have mentioned Kim Jong-il's first son; they mentioned his second son; they also mentioned his brother-in-law; they mentioned his wife. There have been many rumors over the years, beginning probably in the mid-1990s. Every time, it was proven that these rumors were unfounded.''

``So we don't have any reason to take this any more seriously than other previous reports,'' Lankov said.

Former President Kim Dae-jung also weighed in on the North Korean successor issue. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate said that when it comes to who will be North Korea's next leader, what matters most is Kim Jong-il's intention.

The former President remarked that in his view, one possible scenario was granting one of his sons a formal leadership, with officials from the military and the Workers' Party taking part in forming a coalition governing structure.

ksy@koreatimes.co.kr